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COVID-19 Information Center

Last Updated: 9/24/21

The latest information about Northwest Florida State College’s response to COVID-19 will be available on this page. Campus Safety & Security will provide updates as appropriate.

Operating Hours

Northwest Florida State College is open and operating on its regular schedule: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The NWFSC Wellness/Fitness Center is open to students and employees with a valid NWFSC ID: Monday – Friday, 8 am – 8 pm.

Masks and Vaccination are Encouraged for Community Safety – Not Required

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Northwest Florida State College has been attuned to the impact of COVID-19 on the health and well-being of the entire College community. Considering the ongoing development of federal and state standards, all faculty, staff, students, and visitors are encouraged to wear masks indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces; always respecting personal choice. We will continue to actively monitor the situation and will provide updates through Campus Safety & Security.

Hand sanitizer is available across all campus and center locations.  The College’s custodial contractor cleans College facilities.

When to Isolate and/or Test and Refrain from Coming to Campus Locations 

The following guidelines are subject to change. Considering the ongoing development of federal and state standards, the College strives to comply with the most up-to-date instructions provided by relevant health authorities.

COLLEGIATE HIGH SCHOOL (“CHS”) AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION CENTER (“CDEC”) STUDENTS

Following the Florida Department of Health’s Emergency Rule issued September 22, 2021, and the Florida Department of Education updating its 2021-22 School Year student Protocols Controlling COVID-19, the following procedures apply for student exposure and confirmed cases.

If a student is exposed* to a COVID-19 positive case, regardless of vaccination status,

  • And the student is not experiencing symptoms, the student may choose:
    • To continue attending classes and events as regularly scheduled; OR
    • To refrain from coming to campus locations for up to 7 days (no more than 7 days) since the date of exposure to the positive individual.
  • And the student is experiencing symptoms or personally tests positive for COVID-19, the student may return to campus locations after:
    • The student receives a negative test and is not experiencing symptoms; OR
    • 10 days have passed since symptom onset or positive test result, the student has had no fever for 24 hours, and the student’s other symptoms are improving; OR
    • The student receives written permission from a healthcare provider to return to school.

*Exposure, per the CDC, means close contact of 6 feet or less for 15 minutes or more. Contact at greater than 6 feet or for less than 15 minutes is generally not sufficient to transmit the virus.

Please see the Florida Department of Education’s COVID-19 Symptomatic Decision Tree for more information.

NON-CHS AND NON-CDEC STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF

If you are fully vaccinated or have had COVID-19 in the last three months, and

  • You are not experiencing symptoms: you do not need to quarantine after exposure* to someone who had COVID-19.
  • You are experiencing symptoms or test positive for COVID-19: do not come to campus. Return to campus 11 days after the symptoms first appeared and after 24 hours without a fever or the use of fever-reducing medications.

If you test positive for COVID-19: do not come to campus. After testing positive, quarantine for 10 days and return on day 11.

If you have been exposed* to a person who has COVID-19: After being exposed*, you are expected to quarantine for 10 days; however, if you are not experiencing symptoms, you should take a PCR test on day 6 and, if the test is negative, you may return to campus.

*Exposure, per the CDC, means close contact of 6 feet or less for 15 minutes or more. Contact at greater than 6 feet or for less than 15 minutes is generally not sufficient to transmit the virus.

Reporting

As soon as possible after one of the following:

  • an employee tests positive;
  • an employee is exposed;
  • a faculty/staff member learns of a student testing positive; or
  • a faculty/staff member learns of a student being exposed

that employee must submit a COVID-19 incident report through Raidernet under the Forms tab. Only a limited set of authorized staff members have access to view the incident reports, protecting personal information.

For Further Information or Resources, Contact or Visit

NWFSC COVID-19 Case Information (Updated 09/17/2021)

Weekly Update: 25 members of the campus community tested positive
Since March 2020: less than 1 % of the campus community has tested positive

Other Frequently Asked Questions

Find frequently asked questions below in two categories: Students & the Public and Faculty & Staff.

Students and The Public

Am I eligible for Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds? (Updated 08/06/2021)

Northwest Florida State College is participating in the Higher Education Economic Relief grant for students. We encourage you to submit an application for funding.

UPDATE as of July 12, 2021:

Eligibility Requirements for HEERF III ARP:

  • A high school diploma, GED, or completion of high school in an approved homeschool setting.
  • Seeking a degree at Northwest Florida State College
  • Be currently registered for the Fall 2021 term.
  • Students who have already received a HEERF grant prior to August 1, 2021 are eligible.

Additionally, the amount of funds you will be eligible to receive will be based on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as calculated by your FAFSA. If you are unsure what your EFC number is, please login to your FAFSA account and review your 2021-2022 application.

Term Status Amount EFC Range
Half-time and above $1,200 0
Half-time and above $750 1-999,9999
Half-time and above $300 No FAFSA
Other- emergency, tuition assistance, debt, etc. Varies N/A

If I have more questions, whom should I contact?

Please call (850) 502-2895 to speak with a Student Success Navigator during normal business hours.

 

Faculty And Staff

May employees work remotely?

The College generally expects employees to report to work at their assigned campus or center location.

Due to the evolving guidance regarding COVID-19, the College offers the ability to work remotely in certain circumstances.

  • If an employee has contracted or been exposed to COVID-19, is physically able to perform their duties, and works in a position that the College determines can be performed remotely, the employee may submit a Telecommuting Request Form. All telecommuting requests are subject to College approval. For more details, visit the RaiderNet Employee tab for the Telecommuting Procedures and Agreement.
  • An employee may be eligible to work remotely due to a Family Medical Leave Act or American with Disabilities Act qualifying reason. In that case, the employee should contact Human Resources for next steps.

If an employee cannot work remotely, Human Resources is available to answer questions related to leave of absence. Leave questions are addressed under Board of Trustees Policy and the College Employee Handbook. Vacation and personal time can be used for time off due to childcare needs.

I currently have an NWFSC-sponsored Florida Blue medical plan. Will my plan cover medical expenses associated with COVID-19 treatment?

Yes, NWFSC-sponsored Florida Blue medical plans will cover medical expenses associated with treatment for COVID-19/Coronavirus.

What assistance is available to help me cope with the emotional impact of a COVID-19 outbreak? 

Please contact Human Resources at (850) 729-5337. Human Resources will connect you with our Employee Assistance Program resources.

If I have questions not addressed here, whom do I contact?

Questions should be first directed to your supervisor. Campus Safety and Security concerns may be directed to Chief Aaron Murray at (850) 729-5260 or by emailing murraya8@nwfsc.edu. Human Resources questions may be answered by calling (850) 729-5365 or by emailing humanresources@nwfsc.edu.